Literary+Theory


 * Directions:** For Class 8, please complete 2 posts on this page. //Prior to the reading,// post what you know about literary theory in the first section (at least one main idea / contribution). //After completing the reading// related to Literary Theory (posted on the moodle), post at least one takeaway from the reading in the section section below. Please put your initials or first name after your posts in parentheses.
 * [[image:Prism_1.jpg width="387" height="316"]] || [[image:eci521-teaching-lit-for-ya-f16/Lit Crit Concepts Poster via Tim Gillespie.jpg width="397" height="314" align="center"]] ||
 * Prism || Concepts in Literary Criticism by Tim Gillespie ||


 * What We Know About Literary Theory: //Pre-Reading// **
 * I think literary theories give readers various lenses through which they can approach texts, using those theories to interact with the texts and make meaning. And that's about all I remember from Lit Theory class, ha! -Rebecca
 * I think it means the tools we use ( approaches and strategies) to understand literature. S.E.
 * I haven't taken a literary theory class, unfortunately, but I have approached reading and writing in other literature classes using different critical lenses (e.g. Freudian, feminist, moral, etc). I'm especially interested in the way literary theory evolves over time; e.g. the emphasis on the art separate from the artist seemed like a sacred tenet at one point in time, but the pendulum seems to be swinging back in the other direction now, recognizing the sometimes complicated relationships between art and artist (e.g. who can speak for whom). Jen K
 * I have taken classes that discuss Literary Theory before, but I do not remember much about it. I believe that it is the study of the nature of literature and how we analyze literature. Hopefully, after I read about LT, it will all come back to me! -Heather
 * It's been a long time since I have been in a literary theory class, but from what I remember we analyzed literature through different lenses. It gives us different avenues to approach and think about literature. -JT
 * Literary theory is the way we study and analyze different types of literature. I haven't taken a literary theory class, but I think there are different approaches that have developed over time RD
 * I confess- I don't have an informal definition of literary theory to share prior to reading. Literary criticism? Sure. Basic evaluation and interpretation of a text. "Theory" suggests much more depth. Possibly an influential underpinning of literary criticism, but as a standalone not enough to unpack its structure and methodology. W.C.
 * I honestly don't remember much about literary theory, The only thing that comes to mind is that it's this weird triangle between the reader, the writer and the rest of the world. Now I could be way off but I remember drawing a triangle in my notes, haha. - Kaitlin M.
 * Literary theory is something I use often when teaching well-known works. Considering texts from multiple lenses and perspectives based in background knowledge and dissection of the text itself allows for better discussion and a basis for eventual analytical writing. Modeling literary theory also generates a basis which students can use for further understanding of writing.-Kirsten A.
 * Literary theories are different ways of reading the text, kind of like putting on a different pair of glasses. -Jessica M.
 * Literary theory considers all the different schools of thought in regards to how a particular text is approached and deciphered. Jon A.


 * Our Takeaways from the Literary Theory Reading: //After-Reading// **
 * Post your takeaways here . ..
 * ==== I appreciated the activities suggested for studying Literary Theory. For example, the in-class opportunity to write an editorial for The Boston Globe that follows one of the perspectives. I also liked the idea of Jigsaw groups and the Battle of the Book Critics. If you are not able to borrow another class to judge the "Battle," it might be helpful to let the students vote for another perspective besides their own. I have been looking for ways to incorporate games and competition in the classroom, and this might be a good option to keep students engaged in the lesson. I also took away the idea that theories remind us that we do not live in isolation nor do we read and interpret in isolation. It is good to remember that there is validity to interpretations that differ from our own, and as a teacher to be aware of these different perspectives. -Heather ====
 * I enjoyed reading the new historical section. By reflecting on history, new perspectives are offered on traditional readings of the past. I found this relevant this week as different countries celebrated Columbus day, honoring his arrival to the New World. Other groups of people decided to counter this day by celebrating Indigenous People's day. By reading literature with a critical eye and challenging other historian's, we can learn more and become aware of different point of views. S.E.
 * A central tension in the earliest critical theories centered around whether to study the text as an object in and of itself, or to recognize the text as a product of a particular writer living in a specific time. Newer critical theories believe these earlier schools of thought - while different in focus - were all based on one fundamental error, that texts have definitive meanings. As the Milner, Milner and Mitchell (2012) state, these newer theories reflect "the relentless assault on objective certainty in every area of human life and learning" (162); these newer theories like Deconstructionism and New Historical believe texts have no single, determinate meaning. Our emphasis on "reader response" falls into this category as well. Another tension I noticed in the article is the idea that critical theories can help deepen and complicate students responses to text, and yet, the authors also repeatedly warn that too much emphasis on a theoretical response might make "ordinary or inexperienced readers feel excluded and distrustful of their own responses" (160). I do think its important that we find a balance between the two. Jen K.
 * I appreciate that in his approach, Milner seems to incorporate literary theory into his classroom as a way to "enrich personal response" (154). I also like at the end where he explains that he doesn't want to favor one school of criticism over another in the classroom but wants to put them on equal footing. I like that incorporating lit theory can help give students multiple tools through which they can read and interact with literature, and that in acquiring these tools, they can come to appreciate a "multiplicity of perspectives" (166). I think through studying multiple theories, which all have intelligent and accomplished scholars using them, students can come to see (as the article pointed out with Plato and Aristotle and Freud and Jung), that scholars (and ALL people!) can have different ways of seeing things and yet have respectful and respectable discourse.
 * I enjoyed reading the reader response section. We, as readers, connect to pieces of text and construct meaning as we are reading. I think that is important when it comes to discussing literature in the classroom. The meaning of the literature can shift and deepen with class discussion and response. What didn't seem important with one lens has mass value with another. I also think it is important to analyze the literature through the multiple lenses presented in the article, and shifting lenses can shift the reader's response. Students can find theories that they are drawn to and those that they aren't. Our perspectives on the literature can change as our focus changes, and our leanings toward one theory can change based on the literature we are reading. A lot of my high school English classes focused on the historical lense, and I think this limited our view of literature. I wish we had spent more time discussing literary theories within our classes in order to view it through multiple perspectives. I think being able to do this opens our minds as we respond through each lens. -JT
 * Aside from reader response, it is nice put a title on the many different ways readers interpret text. The experience had and emotional connection made helps determine my own affinity towards a read (reader response), but the focus on the historical/biographical context and the work as an "organic whole" is the onion-peeling process I enjoy, and never knew it to be codified. The Marxist and Feminist schools of thought (along w/ rhetorical) stood out the most, because I champion the analytical dissection of social constructs, power plays, and portrayal of women/feminine characters in novels. Deconstructionism seems aggressive and radical (simply because language is metaphoric, the beauty of reading is in the interpretation/discussion w/ others), but I can agree with the emphasis on close reading and discussing inconsistencies. WC
 * I was drawn to the "New Historical" section because I currently teach social studies. I thought it was fantastic that the technique is to implement and introduce texts that weren't used earlier in historical instruction because previous literary historians had left them to others. There is no better way to learn about history than to analyze and read a variety of texts that challenge our traditional understanding of the world. Towards the end of the section, the idea of postcolonial criticism is discussed which is an examination of "the manifestations of colonial control—especially its acts of imperialism, oppression, racism and exploitation..." (163). I thought this part was absolutely fantastic. When we introduce and use texts that focus specifically on issues that have changed our world we do a better job of showing students and accurate history as well as prepare them to look at the world and the things they learn critically. - Kaitlin M.
 * This chapter was an well-written review of the chronology of Western literary theory, as well as an overview of the major lenses with which to criticize literature. As a teacher, I thoroughly employ feminist criticism as part of discussions and offer it as a choice for writing following the reading a discussion. I also use the moral/philosophical approach often because it allows students to explore their own morality as they develop mentally, as well as gain an understanding for societal morals and how they come across in literature. -Kirsten A.
 * This was a good refresher on the different literary theories because I definitely don't remember much from my theory class in undergrad. I noticed the author frequently mentioned how these theories could be used with high schoolers specifically, but I think several of them could be introduced to middle schoolers. For example, the EL curriculum is teaching the hero's journey through Percy Jackson, so that's archetypal. You could also make historical connections (and we are by incorporating different Greek myths and background information on Greek characters). You could bring Freudian criticism into it, too, but talking about Zeus and all his daddy issues and how those issues helped to create an unfair world for the demigod kids. Feminist theory could discuss Riordan's treatment of his female characters or how the Greek goddesses are treated. I think I would stray away from using such formal language as Freudian Literary Criticism or Historical Criticism, I think even sixth graders can begin to grasp the concepts behind these different theories. -Jessica M.
 * Though my original definition has not changed I now see Literary theory through the lens of a teacher. This chapter attempts to define the purpose of Lit theory as a framework for how to teach in an organized manner that doesn't leave students in the dark. I never considered this before at least purposefully. Yes, I have to agree, that by giving a student the scope of what you expect out of their analysis of a text and why that scope is important, you have given them some control over what it is they are seeking in the text, and why. I also like the idea of Literary theory being a shield against dogma. This is a great discussion point to incorporate into a lesson perhaps giving students different theories in which to examine the same text and later discussing results to observe the multi-layered responses. Jon A.


 * Classroom Strategies:
 * Jigsaw Groups: Class is divided into small groups to represent a different school of criticism. Then at a signal, students form new groups and each new member of that groups "discusses the work as a critic from his/her school of criticism that he/she represents. S.E
 * This is probably a dumb idea, but I think it could be fun if the teacher got multiple pairs of (cheap) sunglasses, divided the class into the number of groups that corresponded with however many theories they were studying, and then gave each group one pair. Each group would then be responsible for decorating their glasses in some way that illustrated their theory (along with writing the theory name somewhere on the glasses). They could tape decor to the top, dangle images from the bottom of the frames, decorate the sides, etc. I think this would be a fun and concrete way to remember that each theory provides lenses for viewing the text and interacting with it, and that you can "take off" one theory and "put on" another if you'd like. It would be neat, too, if those glasses could be displayed on some type of glasses rack as a reminder through the year.
 * Role Playing: Students are broken into small groups with each member taking on the role of a different literary critic. Through their group discussion, they are able to focus on the perspectives of the different lenses. The oppositional views allows for a closer reading of the text and a deeper discussion of what has been read. JT
 * Debates—I really enjoy using debates in my classroom. Students can receive different criticisms or theories and they have to convince the class why their criticism or theory is stronger than another. This helps them determine the good and bad of their topic but also shows them that there isn't always a right answer when it comes to understanding and engaging with theory. - Kaitlin M.